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Top 10 Free Things To Do

Lie on any beach and spend the day in the sun

(or in the shade of a pohutakawa). There are so many beautiful beaches to choose from, including Nudie Beach (Little Palm Beach) for those that like to take all their gear off. Make a sand castle.

Go to the Ostend Market

On Saturday morning and take in the vibes of locals, musicians, and tourists, smell the food, mix with the crowd or rumble through the stalls.

Look for Kina, Mussels or Cockles

Or take a hand line and catch fish off the rocks and yes, there are plenty.

Stony Batter.

About a 45 minute walk from the carpark takes you to the impressive remains of historic world war two defence gun emplacements. A great view of Auckland harbour along the way.

Walking trails

There are so many free walks on the island there are too many to choose from. You can take coastal walks or inland bush walks, full of birdlife, nature and wildlife. Enough to make any video game look boring by comparison and guaranteed to get your kids to talk more than half a syllable.

Explore the art

Art galleries and arts and craft shops with something for everyone. With island time on your side, there’s always time.

Barbeque

Free barbeques are at many of the beaches and there is nothing like a barbeque on the beach to really experience the pinnacle of island life.

Hitch Hike

Hitch hiking is something that seems to happen all over the island. People can be seen with their thumbs out everywhere, many of them backpackers from South America. However I have been picked up from a bus-stop in the past by a local. You will find people are friendly on the island and it is safe and a real hoot if you are game.

Mountain biking

There are some great mountain bike riding trails around Onetangi Sports Park suitable for riders of all ages and ability. Well worth going out and dusting off the cob webs and getting into it.

Walk to the top of Trig Hill Road

Celebrate your achievement when you get to the top. Look around 360 degrees and see if you can name all of the islands and landmarks in our beautiful Hauraki Gulf. Then enjoy the walk down. It is a steep walk up the road, but my wife and I walked up there regularly pushing our baby in the pram so there is no excuse not to walk up there and give it a go. There is also a track up from Onetangi Beach, that involves lots of stair-climbing for an extra challenge.

It was said...

Relaxing, restful...and will return”

Friendly, enthusiastic hosts; central location close to supermarket and bus stops; great views; comfortable and unpretentious

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this kiwiana motel. Comfy beds, great size rooms, friendly atmosphere and central to everywhere on the island. The family hosts were amazing and create a real kiwi atmosphere with BBQ, spa, pool and their hospitality was superb. We even got to use the motels beetle convertible to check out the island. Will definitely be back.

what a great experience..the host was fantastic and made sure we had a wonderful anniversary weekend...he went out of his way which made us feel special..home away from home!!! nice 2 bedroom unit spacious comfy beds clean and tidy...awesome pool and spa close to rooms..best of all was the little convertible yay it really did put a smile on our faces..promised by our host...sad to leave can't wait to go back!!! thank you so much for everything!

Friendly staff, they had no problem talking to us about the different places to visit and were helpful when we needed help. The room was clean and surprisingly spacious (had more beds than we expected) and the view was fantastic from the lounge within the room. Would definitely recommend this place if you're staying on Waiheke Island.

I will never forget the exceptional service and kindness we received, from the moment we stepped on to the property. Thank you so much for going out of your way to make sure we had a great time, when we didn't know anything about the island whatsoever. Also, our little Santa bag we got greeted with at our door on Christmas morning. Again, thank you so much, Cristina and Kelly!!! I'd give this place a bajillion stars if I could!!! Cheers to Waiheke Island Motel!!!!

Friendly staff who were very helpful. Had extensive knowledge of the local area and were happy to spend time with us chatting about the island. Clean room and a comfortable bed. Bedding was clean and the motel was a quiet place to take in the serenity of Waiheke.

My Partner and I went to Waiheke Island for a day trip. Enjoyed our day so much that we decided to stay a night. We saw a little yellow VW convertible advertising the motel and decided to try it out. Stayed in room 10. So clean, friendly staff. Countdown supermarket, RSA, close by. Lovely valley and native bush and birds...

WAIHEKE ISLAND MOTEL

The Midway Motel has been on Waiheke Island for over 40 years and is “midway” between Matiatia and Onetangi. It is almost smack bang in the middle of the island making it very easy to use as your base, with ease, convenience and access to all the island has to offer. It’s close to the bus stop and shopping center. Christina and Kelly bought the motel business in October 2016, and rebranded as the ‘Waiheke Island Motel’.